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July 1l, 1967 Original Filed Nov.

C. C. RAYBUPN HIGH DENSITY ELECThONf. STRUCTURE; v

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Char/es C. Rayburn Y MMM KFM@ 7mm ATTYS July l1, 1967 c. c. RAYBURN 3,330,995

HIGH D'CISIT':l ELIUTI'NI'J STRUCTUE Mii: .'Mz'fHfl!) OF MM-NG i-.ME

original Filed Nov. 1961 2 Simms-Sheet 2 COMPONENTS x x x IN VENTOR. Char/es C. Rayburn ATT'Y3 NOTCH E5 United States Patent O of Delaware Original application Nov. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 151,228, now Patent No. 3,238,597, dated Mar. 8, 1966. Divided and this application Apr. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 448,977

Z Claims. (Cl. 317-101) This application is a division of application Ser. No. 151,228, filed Nov. 9, 1961, now Patent No. 3,238,597.

This invention relates in general to the method of making a miniature wound capacitor and mounting same over a resistor on a modular wafer in a manner utilizing cornmon terminals and the structure so formed. The miniature capacitor also has a separate usefulness.

There are two basic materials on which multicomponent assemblies are constructed-high dielectric constant or low dielectric constant substrates. Low dielectric constant materials are used if minimum coupling is desired between components. In other systems, the substrate participates directly as the dielectric, forming various capacitances required by the circuit. In both cases, resistors of a two dimensional variety are bonded to the substrate. The substrate not only provides the resistor with electrodes and leads but also provides the heat sink for power dissipation. Other component types may be added and interconnected on the surface of either type of base material.

This invention constitutes an improvement on the multicomponent module system originally developed as project Tinker Toy. In project Tinker Toy the module wafer per se was developed, said wafer being basically rectilinear thin, and having a plurality of notches in the side edges which are adapted to be metallized and connected to riser wires which fit into the notches. There are at present three basic sizes of modules, namely, the so-called standard wafer which is approximately 'Ms of an inch on a side; the so-called miniature wafer which is approximately 1/2 of an inch on the side; and the so-called micro-module which is approximately 1/3 of an inch on a side. All three modules are essentially similar although different orientation means for the wafers are generally provided.

Various components have been mounted on wafers heretofore, and have included such items as tube sockets, resistors, capacitors, and inductors of various types. In more recent times there have been increasing pressures for high density construction of electronic components. In general, the ideal is to have a high density of components in the smallest possible area which give high reliability and lowest possible cost. Resistors and capacitors which utilize the module wafer structure as an integral part of the -overall component are particularly well adapted to fitting the requirement of high reliability, high component density, and low cost.

At the start of the project Tinker Toy, it was thought that ceramic capacitors would be best adapted toward utilization with the wafers. However, upon analyzation, it has been discovered that sto-called rolled Mylar lm (reg. trademark for polyethylene terephthalate lms) capacitors have certain advantages over ceramic capacitors. The major advantages of Mylar film type capacitors are that they can be manufactured in almost any desired range including the low range normally thought to be the exclusive realm of the ceramic capacitors. (One technique for producing low value wound capacitors is shown in my Patent No. 2,949,570 issuing Aug. 16, 1960.) Further, Mylar capacitors do not have the problems of thermoshock and breakage which are associated with ceramic capacitors. Another factor in favor of Mylar capacitors is that rather high power dissipation (up to two (2) watts per wafer) naturally elevates the module wafer temperatures causing high dielectric constant ceramics with high temperature coeflicients to produce circuit problems if applied in sensitive positions. The relatively flat Mylar temperature coeflicients of capacitance are a big advantage in this regard. One other advantage of the Mylar capacitors relative to the ceramic capacitors is that the ceramic capacitors when mounted on a wafer not only required a large metallized area, under which no other circuits could run, but further required a common electrode for mounting two stack capacitors per wafer surface. Thus, a wafer surface got poor utilization.

The problem associated with obtaining a higher density and better utilization of the module wafer surface leads to usage of Mylar type capacitors in a manner which requires a new Wafer component construction which utilizes the wafer printed circuitry so as to provide common terminals for the Mylar capacitors and other components on the wafer such as resistors and the corollary problem of obtaining a miniature Mylar capacitor at an economical cost and of size small enough so that it will lit on the smaller type wafers, for example, the miniature wafer. This latter problem is a problem of some severity.

In trying to obtain a Mylar capacitor having a roll length or size dimension of, for example, 1A of an inch, several interrelated problems are encountered. The electrode foils, when made in a width dimension of less than 1A: `of an inch, do not have sufficient mechanical strength so that they can be physically handled by winding apparatus in an economical manner. Under present day techniques it is virtually impossible to wind a capacitor of 1A inch size as a discretely individual unit, because of the weave and stray of the electrode foils and dielectric tapes and because the mechanical properties of the foils (which are necessarily less than 1A of an inch in width) and tapes as well as tolerances etc. are such that it might be fairly stated that a 1A inch capacitor is too small to be handled as an individual winding unit. The overcoming of the problems of manufacturing a miniature wound capacitor and the providing of a high component density electronic package forms the general object of this invention.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method of making -a wound capacitor which is too small to be wound as an individual unit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of making a family of capacitors of different voltage ratings, all of said capacitors having the same outside miniature length of roll size which is too small to be wound as an individual unit.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method of attaching a particular lead for attachment of the wound miniature capacitor to a wafer module.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a method of obtaining high component density on a module wafer by utilizing common printed terminals for both one end of a flat resistor and at least one end of a wound capacitor.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electrical structure of high density comprising a thin wafer having conductive coatings at spaced points, flat carbon tape resistors mounted on the wafer, and rolled miniature capacitors physically overlying the resistors with one end of the resistors and the capacitors each being electrically connected to a common printed terminal on the wafer.

The novel features that are characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will best .be understood by the following description of specific embodi- 'ments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a partially rolled capacitor, various layers being broken away to illustrate the disposition of the variou-s electrode foils and the dielectric tapes;

FIG. 2 is a semidiagrammatic sectional view through a capacitor constructed as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates the next step informing two capacitors from the capacitor roll shown in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 3A through 3C are semidiagrammatic showings Y of the relative relationships of the width of overlap of various electrode foils after a roll such as shown in FIG. 2 has had the extending portions of the foils sheared iiush with the dielectric tapes but prior to the center cut;

FIG. 4 is a view of one of the capacitors formed in FIG. 3 showing the application of the leads of the type shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 5 is a semidiagrammatic showing of the capacitor of FIG. 4 taken along lines 5 5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an isometric perspective view of one form of lead which is particularly adapted to beassociated with the ends of the capacitors foils to enhance assembly to the wafer shown in FIGS. 8 through 13;

FIGS. 7 is a view :similar to FIG. 5 showing a different type of lead assembled to one of the capacitors formed in FIG. 3, when same is to be used in a different environment;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modular wafer having printed circuitry on the surfaces thereof and riser wire notches on the periphery;

FIG. 8A is a sli-ghtly enlarged view of the reverse face of the wafer shown in FIG. 8 the location of resistors thereon being shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 9 is an isometric perspective view similar to FIG. 8 showing a later stage of the assembly operation on the first face of the wafer wherein carbon tape resistors are placed over various portions of the printed circuitry of the first face of the wafer shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIGS. 8 through 9 showing the irst face of the wafer with the assembly of rolled capacitors over the carbon tape resistors lshown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 10A is a view of the reverse face of the wafer shown in FIG. 8A showing carbon tape resistors and capacitors assembled thereto;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view along lines 11-11 of FIG. 10A;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing how more than one wafer may be aligned in parallel array on riser Wires;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing of a modular wafer with the electronic components thereon and with riser wires attached thereto being totally encapsulated in a suitable riser potting compound or the like so that only the riser wires protrude;

FIG. 14 is a chart showing the electr-ical connections for eighteenY (18) circuits on the single wafer shown in FIGS. 8 through 11, there being only twelve (12) riser Wires associated with the periphery of the Wafer.

Before discussing the modular assembly 94 shown in FIG. 13 it will perhaps be helpful to discuss the method of making the rolled capacitors mounted in assembly 94 which are too small to be handled by present day techniques. I have `found that structurally, the practical minimum width of a capacitor foil for electrode use is 1A of an inch. Obviously this dimension may be deviated from by a small margin, Ibut for practical purposes 1A of an inch just barely supplies suicient mechanical strength and handability to enable the foil to be wound on conventional winding machinery. For convenience of discussion, I have used the dimension a in the drawings, said dimension a being in the range of 1A to 3/3 inch.

- The capacitors `such as 20 and 20 shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 are formed by rolling in convoluted fashion, a roll -18 which is slightly larger than double size the nal desired length of the individual capacitors 20. More particularly, a pair of tapes 22 for roll 18 are preferably '4 formed of a dielectric material such as polyethylene terephthalate (Mylar) and of a gauge in the range of 25 to in thickness :and having a width Idimension substantially equal to 2a are most suitable for the desired results. Various other plastic material dielectric tapes are also suitable. A pair of electrode foils 24 and 26 are pla-ced intermediate the rst opposed surfaces of the tapes 22 in `roll 18, each of the electrodes 24 and V26 having a dimension a. These electrode foils 24-26 rnay be of any conventional material such as tin foil or the like.

As shown in FIG. l, the adjacent edge surfaces of the foils 24-26 are spaced apart `a dimension equal to a/2 `so that the outboard edges of each of the foils extend beyond the corresponding edges of the dielectric tapes by a dimension a/ 4. A third electrode foil 28 is disposed between the second opposed surfaces of the dielectric tapes 22 in overlapping arrange-ment to each of the foils 24 and 26, foil 28, of course, being separated from the foils 24 `and 26 by the thickness of one of the dielectric tapes 22. The areas of overlap have been respectively designated as 38 and 32, which are shown semidiagrammatically asa cross hatched area in FIG. 3A. It will be noted that foil 28 has a width dimension substantially equal to 3a/ 2 and it is symmetrically arranged in the roll 18 so that the midpoint thereof is on the midpoint of the dielectric tapes 22. Thus the edge surfaces of the foil 28 are spaced from the closely adjacent dielectric tape edges by a dimension of a/ 4 on each side. After the tapes and foils have been wound into a roll 18 of suitable number of turns, depending upon the voltage value desired, a cross section along the axis of the roll will show a structure as semidiagrarnmatically depicted in FIG. 2. The roll 18 shown in FIG. 2 is similar in many respects to that shown in my Patent No. 2,949,570 aforementioned except for the dimensions involved. However, in that patent the roll 18 was the finished product, whereas in the instant situation this is an intermediate step to the `final product.

After forming the capacitor -roll 18, it is subjected to three shearing cuts along lines 34, 36 and 38, 'as shown in FIG. 3 to produce two identical capacitors 20. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the cut line 34 shears olir the extending edges of the foil 24 to leave scrap 24a and the cut line 38 shears ofrr the edges of foil 26 which are outboard of the tapes 22 to leave scrap 26a. The cut line 36, being exactly on the midpoint of foil 28 and the tapes 22, presents two capacitors 20 each having a dimension a. Due to the geometry as shown in FIG. l and aforediscussed, foil 28 `adjacent to the cut 36 is flush with the edge of the newly formed dielectric ta-pe edges on the inboard sides of each of the newly formed capacitors 20 where-as the outboard edges of the tape 22 extend a dimension equal to a/4 beyond the outboard edges of the foil 28. Similarly, foil 24 is flush with the outboard edge of fthe tape 22 in the left hand 4capacitor 2() of FIG. 3 and the inboard edge of foil 24 yis spaced a dimension of a/4 from the newly cut edge in the tape 22 on the inboard side of the capacitor. The same considerations apply relative to foil 26 in the righ-t handcapacitor 20 of FIG. 3. The two capacitors 20 thus formed in FIG. 3 .are identical and symmetrical. T-he areas of overlap of foils 30 and 32 which provide capacitance, each have a dimension of a/2 and the capacitance rating of the individual capacitors is determined by the number of turns inthe foil. After cutting, the capacitor foils 24-26-28 each have a dimension of 3a/4 in the capacitors 20. When it is considered that the dimension a is in the range of 1A to 3A: of an inch as raforestated and preferably at 1A of an inch, the advantages of this system will be apparent.

In FIG. 3B a similar method of forming 4a capacitor is illustrated semidiagrammatically, the areas of overlap 30 and 32' being different to establish different voltage and -capacitance ranges i-n a family of capacitors of the same basic size a. To form two capacitors which are `symmetrically identical from the roll construction 18a' 36. Roll 18a of FIG. 3B is a semidiagrammatic showing of foils and electrodes wound as shown in FIG. 1 after the extending end portions (such as 24a and 26a) of the foils have been cut, but prior to the cut along line 36. In the roll 18a the foils 24 and 26 are of the same initial dimension a, but are initially spaced Iapart at yadjacent edges by a `dimension of 2a/4. The so-called iloater electrode foil 28 is symmetrically aligned on the dielectric tapes but has an initial dimension of 5a/ 4, thus the areas of overlap of the foils, i.e. Iareas 30 and 32 are a dimension a/4 and the areas of overlap lare equally spaced from the end surfaces of the capacitor after the cut along line 36.

FIG. 3C illustrates a still 4different spacing and dimensioning of the electrode foils in the winding technique similar in general respects to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 3A in that la pair of capacitors will be formed having a size dimension a. However, there `are differences in the finally formed capacitors as shall now be discussed. To form the capacitor roll 18a" shown in FIG. 3C the extending end -foils 24 and 26 are still of the width dimension a and are spaced apart at adjacent edge lsurfaces by a dimension Baz/4. The `so-called oatin-g foil 28 is symmetrically larranged on the midpoint of the tapes 22 and is also of ia width dimension a to provide areas of overlap 30" and 32" which are equal to a/ 8. Upon cutting the roll 18a" to form the two capacitors', it will be noted that the areas of overlap 30 and 30 are `not aligned with the midpoints of the new individual capacitors so formed. This may be compensated for in the iinal product in two manners i.e. by shearing olf still further portions of the outboard edges of .the two capacitors so that an equal area remains outboard to the overlap areas, or the leads may be aixed to the end surfaces in such `a manner (not shown) so that they are equally spaced on opposite ends of the capacitor from the overlap area. This latter technique is available Where certain other processing requires a constant dimension such as a for uniformity of size of product for handling by automatic apparatus. The capacitors formed by cutting roll 18a have a distinct disadvantage, however, in that they are not symmetrical.

The individual capacitors after forming thereof are adapted to be electrically connected to lead members 40 by the technique taught in my copending application e11- titled, Wound Capacitor, Ser. No. 756,121, dated Aug. 20, 1958, now Patent No. 3,040,415. The electrical lead member 40 is somewhat Z-shaped in cross section having a horizontal portion 42, a vertical portion 44, and another horizontal portion 46 substantially coplanar with portion 42. By electrically heating lead members 40, the portion 42 thereof may -be forced inwardly into contact with the electrode foils as shown in FIG. 4 adjacent to the end surfaces of the capacitor 20 to form a good electrical and physical bond to the foils and to the dielectric tapes all as is taught in the aforementioned pending application. By utilizing the Z-shaped in cross section lead members, it will be apparent, as shown in FIG. 5, that portions 46 are disposed adjacent to the bottom of the rolled capacitor making for easy electrical connection to printed circuitry as shall be described. It will be obvious there are various other forms of electrical lead means 40 that will perform the same functions, one such being a U-shaped in cross section member (not shown).

In FIG. 7 a capacitor 20 is shown which is substantially similar to that shown in FIG. 5 except that a wire lea-d member has been inserted in accordance with the practices taught in my aforementioned patent application. The capacitor 20 in the form shown in FIG. 7 has independent usefulness such as on conventional circuit boards and in hand wiring operations etc. whereas the capacitor 20 has a particular adaptation to the mounting upon a wafer in overlying relationship -to resistors as shall now be discussed.

The wafer 50 per se, shown in FIGS. 8-11 forms no part of the instant invention, said wafer being shown and described in a copending application of James G. Black Ir. tiled the 23rd day of November, 1960', now` Patent No. 3,078,335, having Ser. No. 71,302 and -assigned to the same assignee. Wafer 50 essentially cornprises a thin steatite wafer which is essentially rectilinear in plan View having corner orientation means 52 and 54 as shown and as more fully discussed in the copending application aforementioned. The wafer is formed with notches 56 through 78 in the side edges thereof adapted to receive corresponding riser wires 56a through 78a (see FIG. l2). Electrical printed circuitry, in the forms of spaced terminals are associated with the riser wire notches as shown. The printed circuitry terminals on the faces `of the wafer have been designate-d with the same reference numerals associated with la notch to which the printed circuit is connected with the addition of a suix c. FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 all show the same face of the wafer and FIGS. 8A and 10A show the reverse face of the wafer. `One form of electrical printed circuitry is shown on the tirst face of the wafer in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 9, a plurality (3) of iiat carbon tape resistors which are quite thin in cross section, and are numbered 82 to 86, are 'disposed across various printed circuit terminals. As can be seen in the graph in FIG. 14, live (5) different resistor circuits are formed by the three resistor tapes y82, 84 and 86. This obtains since resistor 86 has multiple connections of varying lengths such that one resistance value `86 is incurred between the terminals associated with notch 64 and notch 74, a second resistance value 86a is incurred between Iterminals to notch 64 and notch 70 and a third resistance value 8611 is obtained between the terminals of notch 70 and notch 74. The tapes 82 and 84 are shown as single value resistances.

Capacitors 20a, 20b and 20c are disposed in overlaying engagement to .the resistors 82 through 86 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Capacitor 20a is connected across the .terminals to notches 62 and 78, capacitor 20'b is connected across the terminals to notches 64 and 76, and capacitor 20c is connected across the terminals to notches 68 and 74. It Iwill be observed that resistors 84 and 86 are respectively electrically common to terminal connections with notches 62 and 64 respectively. Thus, at least some of the capacitors and resistors on the same face of the wafer have a common printed terminal.

lOn the reverse face of the wafer as shown in FIGS. 8A and 10A and as also shown in FIG. 11, three more resistors 88, 90 and 92 are disposed :across respective printed circuitries and three more capacitors 20d, 20e and 201c of the rolled Mylar type are disposed in overlying relationship thereto. It will be noted that resistor 92 forms in elfe-ct three separate resistances due to the connections as shown by the chart in FIG. 14. Thus as appears from chart 14, there are a total of eighteen (18) electrical component circuits on the two faces of the wafer with only twelve (12) riser wires to be associated with the twelve (12) notches. While there -is a maximum possibility of 66 circuits between the twelve (12) riser wires, it is found that in point of practice it is practically impossible to obtain that many on a single wafer due -to geometry, space and thermal problems. As can be seen in FIGS. 10A and 11, the particular leads 46 of the capacitors are well adapted lto mounting the capacitors over the resistor tapes by conventional soldering techniques. The size of the wafer 50 illustrated is approximately `1/2 of an inch on a side and thus the necessity for usage of a miniature capacitor 20 as aforedescribed having a length `dimension of a.

In some cases it is desired to have more than one wafer in a .stack such as shown in FIG. 12 thus the wafer S0 is disposed .above a second wafer 50a which is in parallel array thereto. This may be continued until all 66 circuits are used.

After mounting of the components as shown in FIG. 12 or as shown in FIG. 11 and after assembly of the riser Wires to the notches in the periphery by prior art techniques, t-he single Wafer or more than one Wafer may rbe conveniently potted in .a suitable resinous compound -96 to give a structure such as shown in FIG. lf3. This 'many modications thereof are possible. Therefore, the

invention is to be construed in the light of the prior art and in the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. A high density electronic component comprising a thin ceramic Wafer having a plurality of printed spaced electrical terminals on the faces thereof in electrical connection with notches in the side edges of the wafer for electrical connection to riser Wires disposed in said notches, a substantially thin fiat car-bon tape type resistor disposed on a face of said wafer with dierent ends in electrical connection to 4different ones of said spaced printed terminals, `and a capacitor mounted in overlying engagement with said resistor so that one end thereof is electrically connected to a terminal common Wit-h one end of said resistor, the other end of the capacitor being connected to a third printed terminal whereby a resistor circuit and -a capacitor circuit may be established through only three riser wires associated with notches in the side edges of said Wafer. v

2. A high density electronic component comprising a thin ceramic Wafer having'a plurality of printed spaced electrical terminals on the faces thereof each being in electrical connection With notches in the side edges of the Wafer for electrical connection to riser wires disposed in said notches, -a plurality of spaced substantially thin at carbon tape type resistors disposed on each face of said Wafer with at Ileast one end of the different ends thereof in electrical connection to different ones of said spaced printed terminals, and a plurality of -rolled capacitors with at least one being mounted on each face of the wafer in over-lying engagement with one of said plurality of resistors so that one capacitor end is electrically connected to a terminal common with one end of one of said resistors, the other end of the capacitors being connected to other printed terminals not common to the respective resistor which the capacitors overlay whereby resistor circuits and capacitor circuits may be established through less riser wires associated With notches in the side edges of said wafer than there are circuits on the faces of the wafer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner. W. C. GARVERT, I. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A HIGH DENSITY ELECTRONIC COMPONENT COMPRISING A THIN CERAMIC WAFER HAVING A PLURALITY OF PRINTED SPACED ELECTRICAL TERMINALS ON THE FACES THEREOF IN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION WITH NOTCHES IN THE SIDE EDGES OF THE WAFER FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TO RISER DISPOSED IN SAID NOTCHES, A SUBSTANTIALLY THIN FLAT CARBON TAPE TYPE RESISTOR DISPOSED ON THE FACE OF SAID WAFER WITH DIFFERENT ENDS IN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TO DIFFERENT ONES OF SAID SPACED PRINTED TERMIMALS, AND A CAPACITOR MOUNTED IN OVERLYING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RESISTOR SO THAT ONE END THEREOF IS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO A TERMINAL COMMON WITH ONE END OF SAID RESISTOR, THE OTHER END OF THE CAPACITOR BEING CONNECTED TO A THIRD PRINTED TERMINAL WHEREBY A RESISTOR CIRCUIT AND A CAPACITOR CIRCUIT MAY BE ESTABLISHED THROUGH ONLY THREE RISER WIRES ASSOCIATED WITH NOTCHES IN THE SIDE EDGED OF SAID WAFER. 